ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2026
Latest News
Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
Michael J. Monsler, Wayne R. Meier
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 26 | Number 3 | November 1994 | Pages 873-880
Inertial Confinement Fusion Reactor, Reactor Target, and Driver | Proceedings of the Eleventh Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy New Orleans, Louisiana June 19-23, 1994 | doi.org/10.13182/FST94-A40264
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ability to manufacture on the order of 108 targets per year in a completely automated target production facility to the required precision and at an acceptable cost is a key issue for inertial fusion energy (IFE). Based on our evaluation of alternative approaches to automated target fabrication, we conclude that a combination of controlled-mass microencapsulation for making polymer fuel capsules, electrostatic spraying of a polymer for building the ablation layer, a new injection fill process for DT fueling, beta-layering for fuel layer symmetrization, and precision casting of hohlraums and sabots would be attractive for mass production after appropriate technology development. We describe the characteristics of the proposed production processes and conclude that IFE targets can be made with acceptable cost.